LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The DMV Compliance Division in Southern Nevada saves a life due to the many hats they wear.
They often do traffic stops and find stolen cars or bust unlicensed mechanic shops.
However, FOX5 recently learned about a call they received while on patrol.
A witness said they saw a girl trying to escape a fast-moving car on the 95 freeway.
Chief JD Decker and Investigator Michael Giddens knew they needed to respond immediately.
“The witness was saying that the rear door kept opening, and it appeared that female was trying to escape at 100 miles per hour,” Chief Decker explained.
It was a call Chief Decker and Giddens could not ignore.
“By the time we caught up to him, he was turning south on Search Light in the desert,” said Decker.
It took Chief Decker and Giddens 15-20 minutes to catch up with the vehicle and by the time they did, it was in the middle of the desert with no one around.
Chief Decker tells FOX5, when they pulled up the suspect had gotten out of the back seat and had the hood of his car open and said he had “car trouble”.
Body camera video shows, as Giddens was putting handcuffs on the suspect, Chief Decker carefully opened the back door.
“You can see me kind of keep my hand on my gun. I really don’t know if there is a threat inside,” shared Decker. “I open the door and I see it’s a female with a look, I never seen on anybody’s face,”
It was the face of a 17-year-old girl who was beaten and bruised.
“She was dead, and she knew it. She was done trying, like before we drove up, he was in the back on top of her strangling her,” Chief Decker explained. “When the door opened and she saw it wasn’t the boyfriend coming back to finish the job and it was the police there was a spark of hope in her eyes.”
Minutes later, Capitol Police and Boulder City Police arrived to arrest the suspect.
The suspect faced numerous charges including kidnapping of a minor, and battery by strangulation.
The incident happened back in June, but the victim did not appear in court, so the case was closed, which is why FOX5 did not name the suspect.
Chief Decker said the two were here illegally, and the victim was handed over to a relative.
Due to their bravery, Chief Decker and Giddens were given the Medal of Valor on Tuesday.
It is an award Chief Decker usually gives his officers, however this time he was on the receiving end.
At the ceremony, the audience heard from Giddens, who was behind the wheel but said he was shocked to receive the award.
“We got there as quickly as we possibly could and safely. At one point we almost turned around, we gave it one more shot and saw a vehicle in the desert,” Giddens shared.
Chief Decker said the initial witness who called the car in was a retired police officer, and tells FOX5 he is the hero.
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